Drow
The drow are a dark-skinned, subterranean offshoot of elves, known for wickedness and cruelty to match the Suel. Their complexions are dark like the night, or an unlit cave. Most commonly, a drow's hair is stark white, but other pale shades are seen, such as silver, platinum blonde, light grey, or tinged with violet. Their eyes tend to be slightly smaller than their surface cousins, and are typically red, though green, purple, gold, and entirely white eyes are seen as well. Drow are, if anything, even more slightly built than surface elves. Unlike other elves, it is possible for male drow to grow facial hair. They favour elabourate mustaches and goatees, though younger drow are eschewing the fashion of growing mustaches at all. It is the fashion for drow of both sexes to grow their hair long, though soldiers and warriors may crop or even shave their heads out of pragmatism in combat. The drow are unconcerned with history, save when it has a specific lesson--such as how a drow general was defeated, or a drow celebrity rose to fame. As such, there is no one certain origin story for them. Surface elves tend to speak of the drow as being a fallen sub-race who were expelled after the corruption by Corellon's consort Aurashnee, whom the drow call Lolth, who trained a sect to be better prepared for the growing power of younger races. The Drow prefer to reverse this story, saying they left the surface elves of their own volition, at the behest of their dark goddess who decided the elves beholden to her sibling-gods were unworthy of her teachings. There is a third story, popular with some younger drow, they were the original elves, and that they banished those who were too weak--who then became the surface elves. Regardless of which tale is true, the drow are very unlike surface elves. Where the darkest surface elves are a light bronze tone, the lightest drow's skin is violet tinged dusk colour. Where surface elves love all light, the drow despise all light but that which emanates from the cracks of stone and eerie gems which provide their cities beneath the Hellfurnaces with a dim, shadowy light. While surface elves are generally good--if cautious--the drow are pragmatically wicked and cunning. Not a drow lives but by vicious deception and wary plotting. Every drow is born already a killer, as a drow pregnancy results in twins, which will fight in the womb until one kills the other. Drow society is matriarchal and theocratic. The priestesses of Lolth direct their society in accordance with the demon-goddess' instructions. Males are second class citizens, and even the free men can be killed by a female of equal or greater status with little consequence. Status is very important to drow. The largest factor in a drow's status, however, is ability and achievment. While drow can be born into slavery--and most males essentially are--great achievment allows even a slave to rise in stature. This is in fact the reason that females rule over males in drow society, as Lolth only accepts female clerics, thus men cannot ever rise to the highest position in their society. Like surface elves, much of drow time is spent in leisure, but the activities drow find leisurely and entertaining would horrify most surface elves. Drow consider torture and murder an artform on par with theatre or opera. Where surface elves might play safer sports which minimize risk of injury, drow gleefully engage in and spectate bloodsports. Clothing Drow clothing is more about cultural semiotics, defense and ornament than protection from the elements. The vast caverns in which they build their cities maintain a comfortable temperature due to geothermal energy and magical radiation, and exposure is only a concern in tunnels far from the cities. As such, it is common for drow to dress in revealing clothing, or even clothing that qualifies better as extensive jewelry than clothing. The drow philosophy is that clothing covers physical imperfection, which they see as a sign of weakness. Thus, more important even than physical protection--which can be maintained through magical means--is social protection, as every perceived weakness is a weapon to the city full of rivals every drow lives in. That said, only a portion of drow dress (or rather, not-dress) so scantily, and a large part of that portion are slaves who wear little to nothing at the behest of their masters. Drow clothing reflects the resources of their subterranean homes--gossamer silks, mushroom fibres, animal hair, leather, metal and bone can all be found in drow clothing. Cotton and other plant fibres, however are exceedingly rare amongst the drow. Drow clothing often includes secret pockets and pouches in which weapons, emergency funds, potions and stolen items can be secreted. Even a drow clad only in a sheer gown which leaves nothing to the imagination will typically have a small blade hidden in a bracer or in their hair. Magic Drow make copious use of magic, treating it as a labour saving and entertainment tool far more than other races typically do. Every drow has the ability to use faerie fire, darkness and dancing lights ''once a day each, and will often utilize these abilities in combat. When not using prestidigitation to groom themselves or unseen servent to move items or clean their homes, drow favour magic which conceals, poisons, and corrupts, as well as spells with a spider theme. Drow Racial Traits *+2 Dex, -2 Con; +2 Int or Cha *30 ft Movement Speed. *Medium Humanoid (Elf) *Immunity to magic sleep effects, and a +2 racial against enchantment spells or effects. *Low-Light Vision: An elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions. *Darkvision 120' *Drow with a charisma of 10 or more can use the spell like abilities ''deeper darkness ''and ''faerie fire once per day each, with a caster level equal to their character level. *Weapon Proficiency: Drow live interesting lives. All learn proficiency with the rapier and one exotic weapon of the player's choice. *+2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. An elf who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for it. *Daylight Sensitivity: Drow are dazzled in bright light, suffering a -1 penalty on attack rolls, Search checks, and Spot checks. *Automatic Languages: Common and Elven. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, and Sylvan. *Favored Class: Ranger and Wizard Category:Elves Category:Races Category:Underdark